Two Ignatzs: The Feiglers, father and son
By Jana Pohaničová
The history of 19th century architecture in Slovakia is rich not only in the varieties of style and typology, but in the wide range of significant strong personalities in the field of architecture – notable architects, developers and builders. The four generations of builders, architects and developers which constituted the Feigler family played a unique role in the architectural evolution of Bratislava. In particular, the work of the father and the eldest son, Ignatz senior and Ignatz junior, refl ects all the significant examples of pluralist historic revival styles of architecture in the 19th century – from Classicism, Romanticism, Rundbogentstil (Round-arch style) and Eclecticism up to the Modernist architecture of the 20th century. The two Ignatzs – father and son – designed many similar types of structures: residential buildings, sacral architecture, and also transport infrastructure projects. They had compatible working philosophies and principles and a common complex approach to making business, which brought them success, social recognition and prosperity to their family business. Many of their works, such as a public hospital, St. Ladislav’s Church, the synagogue on Zámocká street, the mourning chapels at Ondrejský Cemetery and the Cemetery near Kozia brána, rental apartment buildings, the Palugy palace, the horse and steam train railway station, form an inherent part of the architectural image of Bratislava. The high quality of their layouts, progressive construction and the typical Feigler design of facades, have imprinted on our city its characteristic identity.
The advertisement and expression of retail function in historical urban structures
By Pavol Pauliny
Advertisement is an inherent part of the urban interior, which becomes the most spotted and most presented aspect of the historical centre through direct contact with its visitors. It is the advertisement and commercial public spaces, which are part of a town’s ambience along with other components of the urban interior. In spite of the unquestionable positives of revitalization of the neglected historic town centers in Slovakia after 1989, commercial pressure has also brought many negatives, mostly in relation to the protection of cultural monuments. The primary mission of the care of historical monuments is to preserve their authenticity and to restore the cultural heritage. This mission, however, nowadays faces the problem of how to apply the necessary commerce in the town image to a reasonable degree and with respect to the cultural and historical values of the background, which are accepted community-wide. The structure of the thesis corresponds with the issue in question, reaching also into other branches of science. Researching in the processes of regulation, creation and approval of new elements has to be preceded by the definition of classification of terms and the examination of phenomena related with marketing, ethics and psychology of advertising. These chapters are arranged as the introductory sections of the thesis. The chapters regarding the relationship of urban spaces and advertisement in historical evolution and nowadays are analytical and summarize the available facts. Comparison with foreign examples not only serves as inspiration but also as learning from the mistakes of others. In the core part of the thesis, we have dealt with the analysis of problems and causes of their origin, while our ambition has been to present the basic resources and criteria for a differentiated approach to new production. The goal was to propose principles of successful regulation, not only in terms of the care of historical monuments and local authorities, but also the makers of advertisements themselves. The presented thesis has proved the outstanding importance of advertising, not only as the universal non-verbal means of communication between merchant and customer, or a town and its visitors, but also as an expressive element of the urban interior. It is apparent from the outlined history that advertisement has been an integral part of urban spaces right from their origin. The analyses processed have proved that the basic resource for a differentiated approach to advertising regulation is the concept of restoration of the historical urban spaces. Regulation of external advertisement for a particular place may be determined only through knowing the cultural and historical values of the surroundings, their hierarchy and subsequent concept of presentation.
New design in historical environment
By Dušan Ferianc
The aim of this research was to compare new architectural design in historical environments with the principles and methods of conservation of cultural and listed structures. The work is based on general development in the conservation area but also focuses on the Slovak urban environment, and compares it with the development and trends in a wider European context. The ideas of the Washington Charter concerning the historical values of any built-up areas undergoing permanent changes as a result of historical development, the needs and requirements of science and technology advancement, as well as constantly changing aesthetic values, also apply to the topic. New urban and architectural design is therefore a permanent phenomenon in the area of urbanization and countryside regeneration. This work shows the importance of new architectural design in listed structure restoration and new urban design in historical environments, based on successful domestic and foreign implementation projects. The study aims to show that good quality new architectural design does not have to come into conflict with heritage conservation and regeneration principles, but can rather exist in symbiosis with contemporary approaches to preservation of historical values while preserving their new function and their legacy for following generations.
Historical cemeteries in the context of cultural heritage: Case study of Zvonový Vŕšok Cemetery in Banská Štiavnica
By Jara Lalková
This experimental project proved the possibility of mediating the historical testimony about the life of past generations in the multicultural environments of our historical towns via historical cemeteries and their inseparable presence in cultural development of towns. Based on the example of a cemetery in Banská Štiavnica, a complex methodology for documenting and outlining proposals for the regeneration and revitalization of historical cemeteries has been developed. The results can be applied also in other locations of Slovakia. The project has also brought along new approaches in the educational process of students of various architecture majors within the framework of mutual cooperation and joint multidisciplinary solutions.
Algo-tecture as a new concept: Liquid fields and continuously undulating figures
By Michal Valúšek
Our aim to lead a dialogue on nonconformist procedures for parametric design with targeted use of the power of the computer and sophisticated scripting techniques with the use of a computer algorithm, respectively a code, as a symbol of the culture of ALGORITHMIC ARCHITECTURE (ALGO-tecture). A computer algorithm is therefore our recipe for a creation whose actions serve to achieve formulations for the non-conform thinking of allowing problems to move human thought beyond their borders. No accident or coincidence, but a computer code capable, by means of the architect, to selectively control architectural morphology in the area. Algo-tecure is the product of smart text as a readable computer essay written by human hands forming conclusions in space. The programmed logic of computing in architecture describes the modulation of architectural body as liquid urban fields, or continuously swaying figures, which doesn’t characterize dissolution of order (chaos), but created complex mathematical repetition, layering of information and analysis.
Renovation and adaptation of historical churches and chapels: Endangered churches and large chapels of Christian churches of the Slovak Republic
By Róbert Erdélyi
The work deals with the historical churches and chapels of the Christian Church in Slovakia. It addresses the possibilities of renovation and presentation of their architectural, cultural and historical values from the point of view of either their new or currently conserved function.
Three stations at the Evangelic cemetery of Cintorín pri Kozej bráne (Cemetery near Kozia Gate)
By Peter Buday
The graveyard near Kozia brána has since the 18th century always been closely connected with the history of Bratislava. The article deals with three historical monuments of the area. They are classicist sculptures, works by Alojz Rigele and examples arts and craft work dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. The article focuses on some new findings from archive research and deals with the current state of historical structures as well as the conservation possibilities of historically valuable structures in this “museum under the sky”.